Washing machine



United States Patent 3,333,444 WASHING MACHINE John Bochan, Louisville,Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkFiled Apr. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 542,100 3 Claims. (Cl. 68-208) Thisinvention relates to clothes washing machines and, more particularly, toan improved pump drive arrangement for use in such machines.

Many clothes washing machines marketed today are operable at a pluralityof pre-selectable speeds. This capability is advantageous because itenables the user to tailor the wash agitation and spin speeds to thetypes of fabrics being washed as well as to the size of the load. Manyof these machines utilize a multi-speed motor to provide theirselectively variable speed of operation. Such machines are desirablebecause of their speed selectivity; however, they have a seriousshortcoming. The motor is usually effectively coupled directly to thepump. This causes the pump to operate at a speed proportional to themotor speed. If the ppmp is optimized for the higher motor speed, itseffective head at low motor speeds will be only marginal at best. If thepump is optimized for the lower motor speed, its velocity will be toolarge at highmotor speeds. This causes excessive sudsing, particularlyduring recirculation. Also, the pump out volume is more than somestandpipes can handle.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved multi-speedwashing machine which provides optimum pump operation.

It is another object to provide such a machine in which the pump isoperated at a constant speed.

It is a further object to provide a washing machine having a multi-speeddrive motor connected to a pump through a mechanism including a governorclutch.

In carrying out my invention, in one form thereof, I provide a fabricwashing machine having a receptacle to receive fluid and fabrics to bewashed in the fluid and agitation means to cause a washing action on thefabrics. I also include a multi-speed motor, connected to the agitationmeans so as to drive it at a selected one of a plurality of speeds. Apump is included to drain fluid from the receptacle, and may recirculatefluid as well for filtering purposes. The motor is drivingly connectedto the pump by means including a governor clutch adapted to drive thepump at a predetermined speed regardless of the speed of the motor.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention isparticularly'pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concludingportion of the specification. My invention, however, both as toorganization and method of operation, together with further objects andadvantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a clothes washingmachine incorporating my invention, the view being partly broken awayand partly in section to illustrate details, and

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a governor clutch suitable for use inthe machine of FIGURE 1, the view being .partly in section to illustratedetails.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, I have shown therein an agitator type clotheswashing machine 1 having a conventional basket or clothes receivingreceptacle 2, provided over its side and bottom walls with perforations3 and disposed Within an outer imperforate tub or casing 4. The basketand tub together form a receptacle to receive fluid and fabrics to bewashed in the fluid. The basket ice may be provided with a suitablebalance ring 5 to help steady the basket when it is rotated at highspeed.

Tub 4 is rigidly mounted within an appearance cabinet 7, which includesa cover 8 hingedly mounted in a top portion 9 of the cabinet to provideaccess through an opening 10 to the basket. The rigid mounting of tub 4within cabinet 7 may be effected by any suitable means, for instance,strap members could be provided, each of which is secured at one end tothe cabinet and at the other end to the outside of the tub. At thecenter of basket 2 there is positioned a vertical axis agitator 11 whichincludes a center post 12 in a plurality of curved water circulatingvanes 13 joined at their lower ends by an outwardly flared skirt 14.

Both the clothes basket 2 and the agitator 11 are rotatably mounted. Thebasket is mounted on a flange 15 of a hub 16 and the agitator 11 ismounted on a shaft 17 which extends upwardly through the hub 16 andthrough the center post 12 and is secured to the agitator so as to driveit. During a cycle of operation of the machine 1, liquid is introducedinto the tub 4 and basket 2, and the agitator 11 is then oscillated backand forth on its axis, that is, in a horizontal plane within the basket,to wash the clothes therein. Then, after a predetermined period of thiswashing action, basket 2 is rotated at high speed to extractcentri'fugally the washing liquid from the fabrics and discharge it todrain. Following this extraction operation, a supply of clean liquid isintroduced into the basket for rinsing the clothes and the agitator isagain oscillated. Finally, the basket is once more rotated at high speedto extract the rinse liquid.

The basket 2 and agitator 11 may be driven through any suitable meansfrom a multi-spee d, power source. By way of example, I have shown themas driven from a multi-speed motor 18 through a drive including a clutch19 mounted on the motor shaft. The motor is tailored so as to be used toits full extent when it accelerates the basket 2 up to spin speed, andin order to assist the motor during its starting, clutch 19 allows themotor to start without a load and then accept the load as it comes up tospeed. A suitable belt 20 transmits power from clutch 19 to atransmission assembly 21 through a pulley 22. Thus, depending on thedirection of motor rotation, pulley 22 of transmission 21 is driven inopposite directions. The transmission 21 is so arranged that it supportsand drives both the agitator drive shaft 17 and the basket mounting hub16. When the motor 18 is rotated in one direction, the transmissioncauses agitator 14 to oscillate in a substantially horizontal planewithin the basket 2. Conversely, when motor 18 is driven in the oppositedirection the transmission rotates the clothes basket 2 and agitator 11together at high speed for centirfugal liquid extraction. While thespecific type of transmission used does not form part of the invention,reference is made to Patent 2,844,225 issued to James R. Hubbard et al.on July 22, 8 and owned by the General Electric Company, assignee of thepresent invention. That patent discloses in detail the structuralcharacteristics of a transmission assembly suitable for use in theillustrated machine.

In addition to operating the transmission 21, as described, motor 18also provides the driving force for a pump structure generally indicatedat 23. The motor to pump connection is provided by the motor shaft 24, agovernor clutch 25, a flexible coupling 26 and a pump shaft 27. The pump23 may include two separate .pumping units 28 and 29 both operatedsimultaneously in the same direction by motor 18. Pump unit 28 has aninlet which is connected by a conduit 30 to opening 31 formed at thelowermost point of tub 4. Pump unit 28 also has an outlet which isconnected by a conduit 32 to a suitable drain (not shown). Pump unit 29has an inlet connected by a conduit 33 to the interior of tub 4 and anoutlet connected by a conduit 34 to a nozzle 35. Nozzle 35 is positionedto discharge into a filter pan 36 secured on the top of agitator 11 soas to be movable therewith. Both pumps are formed so that in the spindirection of rotation pump unit 28 will draw liquid from opening 31through conduit and discharge it through conduit 32 to drain, and, inthe other direction of rotation, pump unit 29 will draw in liquidthrough conduit 33 and dIscharge it through conduit 34 and nozzle 35,each of the pumps being substantially inoperative in the direction ofrotation in which it is not used. With this structure, then, when themotor is rotating so as to provide agitation, pump unit 29 draws liquidthrough conduit 33 and discharges it through conduit 34 so that theliquid passes from nozzle 35 into filter pan 36, and then down through anumber of small openings provided in the bottom of the filter pan backinto the basket 2. In this manner, the filter pan 39, with its smallopenings 41 in its upstanding side wall 42, causes lint which isseparated from the clothes during the washing operation to be filteredout of the Water and thus prevents it from being re-deposited on theclothes.

The motor 18, transmission 21, basket 2, agitator 11 and theirassociated element 2 form a suspended washing and centrifuging systemwhich is supported by the stationary structure of the machine (whichincludes tub 4) so as to permit isolation of vibrations from thestationary structure. While any suitable suspension structure may beused, I prefer to use a suspension structure which includes a bracketmember 37 with transmission 21 mounted on the top thereof and motor 18mounted to the underside thereof. The bracket member in turn is securedby upwardly extending rigid members 38, and each of the two upwardlyextending members 38 is connected to a cable 39 supported from the topof the machine. While only a portion of the suspension system is shownin the drawing, such a vibration isolation system is fully described andclaimed in my prior Patent No. 2,987,190, issued on June 6, 1961, andassigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the presentinvention. Such a suspension system provides for flexible support of themoving system so as to isolate the vibrations in that system from thecasing and machine.

In order to accommodate the movement which occurs between basket 2 andtub 4 without any danger of leakage between them, the stationary tub 4is joined to the upper part of transmission 21 by a suitable flexibleboot member 40. A suitable and highly effective structure of this typeis described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,959,966, issued onNov. 15, 1960, and assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee ofthe present invention.

Hot and cold water may be supplied to the machine through conduits 41and 42 which are adapted to be connected respectively to sources of hotand cold water (not shown). Conduits 41 and 42 extend into aconventional mixing valve structure 43 having solenoids 44 and 45 sothat energization of solenoid 44 permits passage of hot water throughthe valve to a hose 46, energization of solenoid 45 permits passage ofcold water through the valve, and energization of both solenoids permitsmixing of hot and cold Water in the valve and passage of warm water intohose 46. Hose 46 is positioned to communicate with a nozzle 47positioned to discharge into basket 2 so that when one or both of thesolenoids 44 and 45 is energized, water enters into the basket 2 and tub4. The level to which the water rises in the basket 2 and tub 4 may becontrolled by any suitable water level control means, many of which arewell known in the art.

A control circuit normally is included to control the operations of thevarious components of the machine and would include appropriate parts sothat the user may control the speed of multispeed motor 18 so as toselect a wash and rinse agitation speed and extraction spin speed byutilizing controls such as rotatable member 48 and switches 49. Theparticular control circuit does not form a part of my invention and anumber of such circuits are well known in the art. Therefore, for thesake of simplicity, a particular circuit has not been illustrated.

As an important aspect of my invention, I cause the multispeed motor todrive the pump 23 as substantially a constant speed, regardless of thespeed of the motor. For this purpose governor clutch 25 is includedbetween the motor shaft 24 and the pump 23. Referring now particularlyto FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the governor clutch 25 includes a drum50 mounted on motor shaft 24 for rotation therewith and a carrier member51 formed as an extension of pump shaft 27. The carrier member 51 may besupported on motor shaft 24 by a ball bearing mechanism 52 so as to befreely rotatable with respect to the motor shaft. The carrier member 51includes a flange 54 which is parallel to and radially spaced from theouter surface of drum 50. A number of clutch shoes, for instance two asillustrated at 55 are mounted on the flange by means of stems 56 whichextend through cooperative openings 57 in the flange 54. Thus thecarrier member 51 and the clutch shoes 55 are effectively interconnectedso that they will rotate together while, at the same time, the clutchshoes 55 are free to move radially outwardly away from the drum 50. Theshoes are nor mally biased against the drum 50 by springs 58, which aremounted between the shoes 55 and the flange 54. Each of the shoesadditionally includes a coating or layer of friction material 59 formedon its radially inward surface so that, as long as the coating 59 is inengagement with the drum 50, torque will be transmitted to the carriermember and thereby to the pump so as to rotate the pump. When the speedof the carrier member has reached a predetermined value the mass of theshoes will be sufficient to react in response to centrifugal force andcompress the associated spring-58. This will reduce the force betweenfriction coatings 59 and drum 50 sufiicicntly that the shoes will slipwith respect to the drum. Thus the pump 23 will always be rotated at aconstant speed regardless of the speed of the motor 18 and the pumpingunits 28 and 29 may be optimized so as to give complete satisfactoryperformance. For best results the governor clutch 25 should beconstructed so that the slip speed, that is the speed at which the shoeswill slip with respect to the drum, is below the lowest motor speed.

The foregoing is a description of an illustrative embodiment of theinvention, and it is my intention in the appended claims to cover allforms which fall within the scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A fabric washing machine including a receptacle to receive fluid andfabrics to be washed in the fluid; agitation means adapted to cause awashing action on the fabrics; multi-speed drive means connected to saidagitation means to drive said agitation means at a selected one of aplurality of speeds; a pump adapted to remove fluid from saidreceptacle; connection means drivingly connecting said drive means tosaid pump; said connection means including a governor clutch adapted todrive said pump at a predetermined speed regardless of the speed of saiddrive means.

2. A fabric washing machine including a receptacle to receive fluid andfabrics to be washed in the fluid; agitation means adapted to cause awashing action on the fabrics; a multi-speed motor connected to saidagitation means to drive said agitation means at a selected one of aplurality of speeds; a pump adapted to remove fluid from saidreceptacle; connection means drivingly connecting said drive means tosaid pump; said connection means including a governor clutch adapted todrive said pump at a predetermined speed regardless of the speed of saiddrive means.

3. A fabric washing machine including a receptacle to receive fluid andfabrics to be washed in the fluid; agitation means adapted to cause awashing action on the fabrics; a multi-speed motor connected to saidagitation means to drive said agitation means at a selected one of aplurality of speeds; a pump adapted to remove fluid from saidreceptacle; said motor having an output shaft; a drum mounted on saidshaft for rotation therewith; a drive shaft connected to said pump; acarrier member connected to said drive shaft and extending in spacedrelationship with the outer surface of said drum; a plurality of clutchshoes drivingly mounted on said carrier member with freedom of radialmovement; and spring References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,3278/1952 Lee 230-270 X 2,643,614 6/1953 Rosenkrans 68-208 X 3,018,6501/1962 Schmidt 68-208 X 3,033,015 5/1962 Stutrud 68208 X WILLIAM I.PRICE, Primary Examiner.

1. A FABRIC WASHING MACHINE INCLUDING A RECEPTACLE TO RECEIVE FLUID ANDFABRICS TO BE WASHED IN THE FLUID; AGITATION MEANS ADAPTED TO CAUSE AWASHING ACTION ON THE FABRICS; MULTI-SPEED DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAIDAGITATION MEANS TO DRIVE SAID AGITATION MEANS AT A SELECTED ONE OF APLURALITY OF SPEEDS; A PUMP ADAPTED TO REMOVE FLUID FROM SAIDRECEPTACLE; CONNECTION MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID DRIVE MEANS TOSAID PUMP; SAID CONNECTION MEANS INCLUDING A GOVERNOR CLUTCH ADAPTED TODRIVE SAID PUMP AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED REGARDLESS OF THE SPEED OF SAIDDRIVE MEANS.